A single infusion of zoledronate prevents bone loss after stroke

Stroke is a major risk factor for hip fracture. Patients with intermediate rather than severe or mild stroke deficits at the time of hospital discharge have the most fractures. This proof-of-concept study evaluated the efficacy of a single infusion of zoledronate, an intravenous bisphosphonate, in preserving hip bone density after stroke.

In a 1-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial, 27 newly hemiplegic patients (6 females, 21 males) with acute stroke were assigned to receive 4 mg of the intravenous zoledronate (n=14) or placebo (n=13) within 35 days. Strict inclusion criteria were followed-up to ensure recruited patients were likely to have residual functional impairment. Both groups received calcium and vitamin D supplementation. The primary outcome measure was the change in bone mineral density (BMD; Lunar Prodigy) at the hemiplegic hip during the year of investigation.

The treatment was generally well tolerated. Mean total hip BMD was unchanged in the hemiplegic hip of the zoledronate group (mean 0.0% change), whereas in the placebo group the total hip BMD changed by -5.5%, with the greatest bone loss observed in the trochanteric subregion (mean, -8.1%). On the unaffected side the mean change in total hip BMD was +1.0% with zoledronate versus a mean change of -2.7% without. Repeated measures ANOVA confirmed the significance of the differences between groups at both hips (hemiplegic, P<0.001; unaffected, P=0.002).

Stroke patients were protected from the deleterious effects of hemiplegia on hip bone density for at least 1 year after a single infusion of zoledronate.